Recently my manager had her first baby and she reached out to me for some tips on traveling by plane with little ones as we come up on the Christmas travel season. I've had many folks ask about my travel routine with a baby, so I thought I'd share my note to her with y'all! I also linked some of my fav products in case you are interested in using some of the wonderful things we have used to travel with kiddos! You got this, mama.
P.S. If you are reading along and have other tips/tricks from traveling with kids, share what worked for you and your little people below in the comments! Oh yeah… and I was focusing on the really little ones rather than toddlers and elementary age for this post because I was writing to my manager who has a 3 month old :)
Hi!
Traveling with your baby in tow is no small thing, but you can do it!!! It is our normal, and as I sat down to write this to you, I realized I have a lot of tips/tricks I’ve learned over the years… mainly trial and error 🤣. Here’s how I roll on the road with my babies.
Every mom is different, but I love a good travel system stroller when I’m flying. Pushing a stroller with the car seat attached in the airport means you have a car seat when you land, which is always necessary for us. Keeping the stroller handy until you get on the plane is a great help too, because dragging all the things that baby needs and the baby around without a stroller is A LOT to me. If you have the stroller, you can just roll everything (diaper bag, carry on, etc.) around in it even if you are wearing your baby. I use the Mommy Hook every time I travel for all the extra things especially as you are walking into the airport to check all your bags… the Mommy Hook holds everything from a mandolin, to the diaper bag, to my purse, to a baby bed (we love THIS one by the way because it fits in small closets/bathrooms/showers). We are always cramming our kids and us into hotel rooms/busses/etc, and this lightweight and versatile travel crib has helped us have room for all of our people. It has served us well and even fits in a condo bunk on a bus, which is a plus!
Checking in:
I usually go to the full service line because, with a lap child, they have to print off an extra ticket for you (at least they do with Southwest). They will ask for a copy of the birth certificate when you check in to verify baby’s age, so have that ready. I love to travel with a wristlet (like this one from ABLE or this one from SCOUT) that I can have handy to hold my license, phone, credit cards, and boarding passes while checking in and getting through security, but that will also fit easily into my diaper bag later. I also LOVE a backpack diaper bag because handsfree feels PRICELESS with a baby in tow, especially when there is more than one!
Your stroller will fit through the security check & sometimes they will let you roll it through the handicap gate if you ask. You just have to get baby out. Another option is: You can just check the car seat and stroller when you check in for your flight so you can have it when you land & pick up your luggage. It’s no extra charge on most airlines. Also, Southwest provides a big zippered car seat bag to A-listers for car seats or baby beds that you want to check for the flight at no additional charge. When I gate check the stroller and/or carseat, I don't usually bother with a bag. Personal preference. I just fly so much that I can't be bothered with it.
Boarding:
My babies slept great in their car seats, and (HOT tip)… if there is room on Southwest, they will let you bring the car seat on without paying for an extra ticket! Even if baby doesn’t sleep in it or stay in the car seat, it’s NICE to have the extra space under the extra seat it is in and a buffer if you need/want to nurse. Just check in when you get to the gate and you can get both the car seat and stroller tagged for gate check. While you are there ask if it’s a full flight and if there is space to bring your car seat on. If they tell you there is, you are golden! Sometimes it is right on the line and they will tell you to double check as you are boarding with the plane flight attendant. I always say, “they told me there would be room for me to bring the infant seat on!” optimistically and that usually works :) If there is even one extra seat, they will let you have it. I always try to bring the infant seat on the plane... it feels like you are winning because you get a seat/space you didn’t pay for! Also, most airlines let families board earlier, after the first A-list/frequent flyer groups get on board. Utilize this!
In Flight:
I usually try to time feeding to take off and/or landing. The sucking helps their little ears adjust, but a paci works too if baby will take it. A clip for the paci is a game changer too… that way you are not bending over the whole flight to track down a paci that dropped.
If I couldn’t bring the car seat on the flight, I would always just wear the babies in my Solly Baby wrap since it is nice and lightweight (I could stuff it in the diaper bag if I got to bring the car seat on board) AND I would use the car seat cover to cover the seat if baby was asleep, or use it as my nursing cover/infinity scarf if we had to check the car seat. They will not let wear baby at take-off most times, but you can have that wrap at the ready and put him in as soon as flight attendants clear everyone to move about the cabin.
I also bring a bottle pre-loaded with formula or milk just in case. This formula container is great if you are not nursing and will need several bottles for your travel day.
My babies loved windows and lights, so that was a good source of entertainment… even today with Rivers! It’s also nice to have one or two small toys for them to play with depending on the age of the baby. I used to travel with this little book of black and white pictures because all my babies LOVED looking at it and it would entertain them for at least half an hour… or 3 minutes depending on their moods ;) I also loved THIS toy… it wasn't too big, it has a suction cup, so it sticks to a tray table on a plane, and it has entertained kids from infants to my 7 year old daughter.
I always felt like my best bet was to try to get little babies down at take off - for some reason the sound of the plane and the pressure going up was a good combo to get them to sleep if you can time feeding right. I would also just try to change their diaper before the flight to give them a fresh start! Blowouts happen though, so it's good to pack an extra change of clothes for you and the baby! The car seat cover helps with this as well... an extra layer of protection for you if you wear as an infinity scarf and you are holding the baby. You can also get up and walk or bounce him in the back section by the bathroom if the seatbelt sign is off, which helps with little babies.
Oh, I always had a burp cloth or wipes in the pocket in front of me, as well as an extra paci, bottle, & anything else I would need to grab quickly in case I needed it to avoid the awkward lean over with a baby in your arms to get something from under the seat! 🤣
Last thought! Travel with a few little plastic bags you can throw dirty diapers or clothes in if need be, so you don’t mess up your whole diaper bag if there is a spill/accident! I love this kind from Munchkin. A roll of little plastic bags for dirty diapers or blow outs… life savers.
I guess I have learned a LOT over the years! Ha! Hope this doesn’t overwhelm you! You and baby will do great!
When you have a toddler on your hands, reach out again. That is actually the hardest I think. Little babies so often sleep, but the toddlers want to MOVE… which isn’t a great combo on a flight. When you travel with toddlers, you need ALL THE SNACKS!!!
You are crushing it, Mama.
Love,
Ellie
